Scientists Developing 10-Minute Saliva Test For Cancer

The Telegraph (UK) (2/13, Knapton) reported scientists are developing a test for cancer that takes 10 minutes and uses “just a drop of saliva.” David Wong, a professor of oncology at California State University, says the test is accurate and can be carried out by a dentist, pharmacist, or even taken at home. According to the article, “Professor Wong’s tests have shown that just a single drop of saliva contains enough data to give a definitive diagnosis as soon as a tumour develops.” The new test is set to enter full clinical trials later this year, with FDA approval anticipated within two years. “The advantages of our technology is that it is non-invasive,” Professor Wong said. “If you have a credible early screening risk assessment technology that people can use on their own or at dentists’ office or pharmacists – that’s the key, early detection.”

The Daily Mail (2/14, Miller) reported that early results show the test as having “near-perfect” accuracy with lung cancer patients, and “eventually it could be used to diagnose a range of different cancers, said Wong, speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington DC.”